Executive Summary

The development of the Direct to home sector has experienced a major process of transformation in terms of its growth, technological content and market structure in the last decade. Any company which is successful is because of their reach among customers which is possible through the effective tools through which a company communicates and attract its customer. Dish TV & Tata Sky is the most famous brand and has a sophisticated place and market leader position in the mind of customer. This is due to its strong brand image. The attempt behind this project was to find out the effectiveness of DISH TV & Tata Sky as a brand over the retail outlets and its competitor position over hese outlets, so that company would be able to find out its lagging area and can focus more effectively to target more and more customer and to communicate hem more easily.In the year 2004 Tata Sky was incorporated but was launched only in 2006. It is a joint venture between the Tata Group, that owns 80% and STAR Group that owns a 20% stake It currently offers close to 196 channels (as of December 2010) and some interactive ones; this count includes some numbers off HD channels offered by Tata Sky (as Tata Sky - HD) and interactive services also.

In the clash between these two pioneers of the Indian DTH industry, it seems as of now that Tata Sky is slowly taking the lead, with more emphasis on new technology (as showcased by their effort at DVR recording and MPEG-4 compression), Dish TV seems to be uninterested for now, but with more and more people switching to Tata Sky, they may have to take drastic action soon.

Dish TV Profile
Dish TV is Indias first private Indian company to start Direct to Home (DTH) satellite broadcast operations in the country. Dish TVs DTH services was hard launched in May 2005. It provides multi-channel subscription television service and interactive services. Its state of the art broadcasting infrastructure is located at its facility in Noida, near Delhi, which is the nerve centre of DTH operations. Dish TV has robust operating infrastructure, strong content tie-up, established brand salience and backing of a strong group. ASC Enterprises Limited, now renamed Dish TV India Limited (Dish) acquired the first private sector license to operate DTH services in India. Dish was a wholly owned company of Mr. Subhash Chandra and family, promoters ofZee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zee), formerly known as Zee Telefilms Limited. Under a scheme of restructuring approved by shareholders of Zee, allDTH related assets in Zee have been transferred to Dish and in return, Zee shareholders will get 57% ownership of Dish. Restructuring initiated to integrate operations in Dish and to overcome regulatory restrictions, which prevents Zee from owning the DTH license. Shareholders can now participate in the growth of DTH business. Move will unlock shareholder value. As part of this scheme of arrangement, Dish

would get listed in India. Demerger is completed and listing expected by end of Mar-2007.DTH service was launched back in 2004 by launching of Dish TV by Essel Group's Zee Entertainment Enterprises. Dish TV is on the same satellite where DD Direct+ is. Dish TV was only DTH operator in India to carry the two Turner channels Turner Classic Movies and Boomerang. Both the channels were removed from the platform due to unknown reasons in March 2009. Dish TV is a DTH satellite television provider in India, using MPEG- 2 digital compression technology, transmitting using NSS Satellite at 95.0. Dish TVs managing director and Head Of Business is Jawahar Goel who is also the promoter of Essel Group and is also the President of Indian Broadcasting Foundation. July 19, 2010 Dish TV India Limited (Dish TV) today announced the appointment of Mr. R.C. Venkateish as the CEO of the company. Satellite link Dish TV uses NSS-6 to broadcast its programmes. NSS-6 was launched on 17 December, 2002 by European-based satellite provider, NewSkies. Dish TV hopped on to NSS-6 from an INSAT

satellite in July 2004. The change in the satellite was to increase the channel offering as NSS 6 offered more transponder capacity. NSS-6 is a communications satellite owned by SES WORLD SKIES. NSS-6 covers the whole of Asia with six high-performance Ku band beams, which can deliver broadband media to small businesses, ISPs or domestic rooftop antennas in those markets. The satellite delivers Direct-ToHome power and performance, as well as significant inter-regional connectivity. High-gain uplink performance (i.e. high receiver G/T figures) allows the use of small uplink antennas and/or amplifiers. Dish TV uses NSS-6 to broadcast its programmes. NSS-6 was launched on 17th December, 2002 by European-based satellite provider, New Skies (one of the only four fixed satellite communications companies with truly global satellite coverage) Dish TV - India's first KU-band DTH entertainment service, hopped on to NSS-6 from an INSAT satellite in July 2004. The change in the satellite was to increase the channel offering as NSS 6 offered more transponder capacity.

Key People Mr. JAWAHAR GOEL (Managing Director & Head of Business)

TARIFF DISH TV Base pack All new and improved Dish TV packages are here to give you best entertainment at unmatched prices! Keeping in mind the varied needs of our diverse subscribers we have redesigned our packages for a joyous and wholesome viewing experience. Packages in North and South of India have the right mix of Hindi, English, International and Regional channels so that your entertainment gets complete, in true sense.

Child pack

Dish TV on Computer DISH TV bring to you yet another first in its bouquet of services DISH TV on Computer'. 'DISH TV on Computer' is the first of its kind in India, by making your computer double up as a television it gives you 'LIVE DIGITAL TV' right on your workstation. You also get an added

benefit, the set top box comes with a dual advantage it works with your computer AND your TV. Yes! With this magical product, up to 100 + channels will now also be available on computer, bringing to you Live News, Live Sports, Live Business news along with Active services, Movie-On-Demand, Gaming, EPG, etc, whatever Dish TV offers on Television; now also on Computer!

Advantages: The dish antenna is installed at an appropriate location on the roof (terrace / balcony or suitable location). It is connected to the Set Top Box (STB) through a cable which in turn is linked to the computer / television set. Then the Viewing Card is inserted into a slot in the STB. The encrypted signals are received from the satellite on the dish antenna and are transmitted to the STB . The viewing card decodes these signals. Interactive Services MOVIE ON DEMAND Now you get to make your own movie show timings. Watch the latest blockbusters anytime of the day that you choose. Go on, stars are now on demand, bring them home when you want! Tune in now and change the way you watch movies forever!

GAMING With dish TVs 24x7 gaming portal, games active, dont just watch tv. Start playing on it. SHAADI ACTIVE Find your matrimonial match on TV! Content partner Shaadi.com, Indias largest matrimonial service Search from thousands of profiles, updated every week Profile search based on Age, Religion and Mother Tongue JOB ACTIVE Find the right job for you, on your TV! Content partner Monster.com, the worlds largest jobs portal Search from thousands of jobs, updated every week Profile search based on Functional Area, Experience and Location TRAVEL ACTIVE Content partner Yatra.com, Indias leading travel portal Search from the best holiday packages and hotels across the country Refreshed regularly Search holiday packages from 10 destinations

per Indian zone, and hotels from 14 select cities across the country Suits all budgets and all price points ICICI ACTIVE Now get information on exciting new offers from ICICI Bank, Safe Banking Tips for safer and secure banking, updates on investment options, NFO launches, Fixed Deposit and Recurring Deposit Rates at a single push of button on your remote! BHAKTI ACTIVE Watch live Gurbani from bangle Sahib and Nanded Sahib, Sai Baba Aarti from shirdi & ganesh aarti from siddhi vinayak, Seva from Tirupati Balaji, Ganga Aarti from Haridwar and Bhasm Aarti of Mahakal from Ujjain. CINEMA ACTIVE Content partner Fun Cinemas, Indias leading multiplex chain Provides a listing of the complete movie schedule of all Fun Cinemas screens nationwide. A handy tele-booking number and online booking id, for instant booking. The data will be updated every week, with the change of schedule on cinemas. MUSIC ON DEMAND Introducing MOD Non-Stop! A monthly pack in which you can enjoy 16 Bollywood blockbusters at just Rs. 30 per month. Thats less than Rs. 2 per movie. Its like watching a movie in a multiplex in digital quality with just one interval in the entire movie. R. C. Venkateish Joins as CEO of Dish TV India Limited Dish TV India Limited (Dish TV) announced the appointment of Mr. R.C. Venkateish as the CEO of the company. Bringing with him a wealth of more than 27 years experience, of which 12 years have been in senior international positions, Venkateish has worked with global brands like Smithkline Beecham, Nestle India, Gillette, Kellogg India and ESPN Star Sports. Prior to joining Dish TV, Venkateish was the Managing Director India and South Asia for ESPN Star Sports and was responsible for business operations in these regions. He brings along with him a successful track record in turning around businesses and improving operating performances while re-defining the business process for winning brands like Oral-B, Kelloggs etc. Venkateish holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from IIT Madras and a Masters in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. Mr. Jawahar Goel, Managing

Director, Dish TV India Limited, while welcoming Venkateish on board said, Venkateish has had a an excellent track record while heading leading brands, his experience gives him a well seasoned perspective which perfectly complements Dish TVs needs as a rapidly growing company with the highest market share. I am confident in his abilities to enable Dish TV to take the next big leap.

Reliability Dish TV and content protection provider Conax further their long-term partnership. Part of Essel Group Venture, Dish TV is Indias largest and fastest growing DTH platform - experiencing exceptional growth since launch of its DTH operations in 2004. Renowned for its unique security record, content security provider Conax has provided the platform with smart cards for 7 years. To date, Dish TV has demonstrated a significant impact on the Indian market with 8.9 million Conax smart cards. Dish TV is market leader in the highly competitive Indian pay-TV market, both in size and scale of growth. Together with our long-term content protection partner Conax, Dish TV is setting DTH standard in Indian market, says Mr. Rajiv Khattar, President of Projects, Dish TV. Conax continues to provide Dish TV with seamless cooperation and the core business benefits necessary to even further develop and manage the highly successful Dish TV platform; reliability, dependability and the trustworthiness. In Delhi for the contract signing, Conax CEO, Berit Svendsen, said Dish TV is a market leader and highly innovative DTH operator. Conax is pleased tocontinue our long-standing partnership providing Dish TV with world-class content protection and the flexibility needed for bundling the best products and services for sustaining and growing a successful operation. Conax provides Dish TV with full operational security as well as renowned Conax fingerprinting andchipset pairing technology. Dish TV provides subscribers with the next level of entertainment with\ futuristic features, such as EPG (Electronic Programme Guide), parental lock, games, 268 channels, interactive TV and movie on demand. Conax provides the content security necessary to ensure operational success. Communication & Marketing strategy Positioning: Dont be Santusht with cable tv; Thoda aur wish karo..DISH karo Use brand ambassador extensively to convey brand image

Advertising & Marketing Strategy Dish Tv 1 Segmentation: Launch as per area, region, geographical location etc. 2 Target: Both rural n Urban Consumers Sec B, B+ and above 3 Price Benefits and Advantage 4 Be attractive with new advertising and new promotional offers at festival seasons 5 Create Word of mouth publicity 6 360 degree approach 7 TVC, Print, Radio, outdoor, point of sale etc. 8 Reinforcing attributes of the brand and reiterate its positioning 9 Emotional Appeal The film opens with Shahrukh Khan saying, Pehli baar, aasmaan mein Live Dish TVcar mein Live Dish TV computer mein bhi Live Dish TV. He criticizes those who are still content with their old dead cable TV. The latest sales promotion scheme of the Dish TV which is related to Dish TV Set up Box Free with push the print ad Aaj ki Taja Khabar advertisement campaign in the print and electronic media Discount Schemes for quarterly/ half yearly/ yearly plans Recharge Card from Itz Promotion campaign Benefit of choice

TATA company Profile The Tata Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, India. In terms of market capitalization and revenues, Tata Group is the largest private corporate group in India. It has interest in steel, automobiles, information technology, communication, power, tea and hospitality. The Tata Group has operations in more than 80 countries across six continents and its companies export products and services to 80 nations. The Tata Group comprises 114 companies and subsidiaries in seven business sectors. In the year 2004 Tata Sky was incorporated but was launched only in 2006. It is a joint venture between the Tata Group, that owns 80% and STAR Group that owns a 20% stake It currently offers close to 196 channels (as of December 2010) and some interactive ones; this count includes some numbers off HD channels offered by Tata Sky (as Tata Sky - HD) and interactive services also. The company uses the Sky brand owned by British Sky Broadcasting .In October 2008, Tata Sky announced launching of DVR service Tata Sky+ ( Tata Sky+ is a premium set-top box-cum-Personal Video Recorder or even known as DVR Digital Video Recorder that allows recording up to 130 hours of live TV, recording one programme while watching another, pause, fastforward and rewind a live telecast and review a TV programme. Also Tata Sky+ provides service using MPEG-4 digital compression technology.) which allowed 90 hours of recording in a MPEG-4 compatible Set Top Box. The remote is provided with playback control keys and is being sold with special offers for existing subscribers. In 2008, Singapore-based Temasek Holdings picked up 10% stake in Tata Sky from the Tata Group. This has diluted Tata's stake in the venture to 75%. STARs parent company, News Corporation, owns an International group of DTH businesses that include

Sky Italia in Italy and Foxtel in Australia. Tata Sky's MD & CEO Vikram Kaushik. Vikram Kaushik has more than 30 years experience in consumer sales and marketing. He worked for some of Indias largest international companies, and has participated in their operations in Asia, INVESTMENT BY TATA Escalating competition in the direct-to-home (DTH) market has pushed up the project cost of Tata Sky, the joint venture between the Tata group and global media baron Rupert Murdoch's Star India, by a third. From the initially envisaged Rs 3,000 crore, Tata Sky's project cost has moved up to Rs 4,000 crore.

HEADQUATER TATA SKY 3rd Floor, Bombay Dyeing AO building, P B Marg, Worli, Mumbai, India KEY PEOPLE Mr. Vikram Kaushik (Managing Director and CEO) Vikram Kaushik is one of the most fashionable CEOs in the media business. The cut of his suit and the colour coordination of his shirts and ties are always perfect. A self-confessed shopaholic, Kaushik has the air of an elegant, somewhat fastidious, gentleman about town BRAND AMBASSADOR TATA SKY Aamir Khan, one of Indias highly acclaimed actors, as a brand ambassador. Aamir Khan is the highest-paid brand ambassador today. His contract with Tata sky is for 20months.Speaking about Aamir Khan as the brand ambassador for Tata Sky, Mr. Vikram Kaushik, CEO & Managing Director, Tata Sky Ltd. said, Aamir makes a perfect fit with the Tata Sky brand values of trust, high-quality entertainment and innovation. As our brand ambassador, hewill be instrumental in communicating the benefits of Tata Sky to consumers across the country. It is our privilege to be associated with an actor of the highest calibre and excellent standing in the entertainment industry. Aamir Khan will feature across all Tata Sky brand and product communication including advertisements on TV, Print, Outdoor, Radio and other mediums. Commenting on his association with Tata Sky, Aamir said, I am delighted to be associated with Tata Sky. Since its launch, Tata Sky has redefined television viewing in India and I am proud to be associated with a brand that epitomizes continued innovation and excellence in home

entertainment. INTERACTIVE CHANNELS Active English This service will help housewives improve their English conversational skills, vocabulary and pronunciation from the comfort of their homes, at a time most convenient to them. With Active English, they can learn how to converse confidently in English in day to day situations like PTA meetings, malls, banks etc. and many more. The medium of instruction for this service is Hindi. Lessons learnt through the week can be revised on weekends. The content for this service is provided by British Council.

Active Mall Now, you can buy electronic appliances, household goods and even mobile ringtones & wallpapers, at the press of a button! Thats right, with Actve Mall on Tata Sky you can shop from the comfort of your home at a time most convenient to you. Avail of attractive prices on all products Active Wiz kids Designed specifically for preschoolers, Active Wiz kids is a television based service that aims to continue a childs learning process at home through a host of fun learning games, rhymes and art & craft activities. Now children can also enjoy their favourite Disney characters Active Stories A television based story book that children can read and listen to at their own pace. The service features new stories in English and Hindi everyday from the likes of Panchatantra, Jataka Tales and Hitopadesh. Now children can also enjoy their favourite Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Aladdin, Winnie the Pooh and more on Active Stories. You will now be able to listen to your favourite stories in six languages - English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu,Bengali and Marathi

Active Learning Active Learning powered by Encyclopaedia Britannica is a quiz based service aimed at children in the age group of 7-12 years. Through daily quizzes and interesting sections like Did You Know and This Day in History, the service aims at improving a childs general knowledge.

Active Cooking On Active Cooking you can get your favourite recipe when you want at the press of a button. The service features 9 new and easy-to-cook recipes daily, from master chefs across the country including Sanjeev Kapoor. Also, get a new handy kitchen tip every day. Active Darshan Shirdi Saibaba/Iskcon/Siddhi Vinayak/Kashi Vishwanath/SVBC)( Get darshan of the ISKCON temple, Juhu and the Shirdi Sai Baba temple on your television, throughout the day. This new service is brought to you in partnership with STAR News. Active Games On active games there are lot many options of games to choose from. Actve Doordarshan DD Gujarati/ DD Saptagiri/ DD Punjabi/ DD Kashir Actve Star News Control how and when you want to watch the news. Go directlyto: headlines, top stories, features. TARIFF - TATA SKY Tata Sky presents you with 'TruChoice Packages' - a new set of channel packages that lets you choose the channel package you like! Subscribe to the Annual Mega Pack or decide on one of the Popular Packs and then choose any or all the Optional & Regional packages you want to watch. You can also watch blockbuster movies on Showcase that can be ordered with any of the Packs. Get the best of entertainment right at your home in three simple steps.

Tata sky in headlines The company said that its first-of-its-kind, no conditions apply offer will redefine the DTH landscape in the country. It surely would, as Tata Sky has slashed the price of its set-top box by almost 40 per cent to Rs 999. Competitors provide set-top boxes at Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,800. Tata Sky is convinced it has taken the right path and its pricing strategy isnt something that it has adopted for the first time. We were the first to break the Rs 100 price barrier in packaging; first to introduce HD service at an unimaginable price point and now, the first to provide a world-class quality DTH service at an affordable price point. Our service will now be affordable

for consumers across all strata of the society, says Vikram Mehra, chief marketing officer, Tata Sky. The company claims a subscriber base of 5.5 million, making it the third largest DTH player. Mehra also says reducing the price of hardware does not mean the company, a joint venture between Tata Sons and News Corporation, will reduce the price of channel packs as well. The company has left the minimum subscription charges unchanged at Rs 160 per month. He is banking on a huge increase in subscription to the DTH providers value-added services. Interactive services like ACTIVE English and ACTIVE Cooking, for which the operator charges Rs 30 per application, have more subscribers in Tier II and Tier III cities than in urban areas. With our differentiated content, we will continue to earn sizeable revenue than competition. TATA SKY launches Active Games In a bid to make your TV the new playground, Tata Sky Ltd in association with Hungama Game Studio has launched its gaming service - Actve Games. The service aims at providing over 50 different games throughout the year on Tata Sky Actve Platform, with at least 6 of them to be enjoyed daily. The games will cater to all age groups across multiple genres such as sports, action, adventure, arcade, cards and racing, among others. Tata Sky will constantly update the catalogue for its growing subscriber base of over 6 million connections. The most exciting of these games is the exclusive Yuvraaj Singh Cricket Championship game, said Vikram Mehra, CMO, Tata Sky, adding, At present the games offered on most DTH platforms are quite basic. Tata Sky, however, is introducing a completely new breed of TV gaming on its Actve Games platform. This opens up a huge market not only in larger cities, but also in the Tier II-Tier III cities and small towns. With DTH gaining a very strong foothold into the Indian pay-TV market, gaming could be the next big step after education. Commenting on the partnership, Neeraj Roy, managing director and chief executive officer of Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt Ltd, said, The concept of gaming has caught up well in India and is gaining rapid pace. The worldwide gaming market is expected to reach $42 billion by 2010, growing at a CAGR of nearly 18 percent over 2006-2010. At Hungama Game Studio we have created a bouquet of games that are engaging and addictive for the average gaming enthusiast. Since the launch, the Actve Games pack has been getting an overwhelming response and with the availability of fresh content every week, we at Hungama Game Studio hope to provide them with the ultimate gaming experience in the comfort of their own home. The DTH market in India is relatively nascent, but is getting crowded very quickly and holds high potential for growth. The future of

competition in the DTH market is not going to be in the core DTH service or the subscription cost, but the quality of the value added services the provider offers its customers. Tata Sky crosses six million subscriber mark sept 30 2010 We have received tremendous response from the market and have crossed six million subscribers. We are poised for further growth in the coming months, especially on the back of interactive services that we have launched," Tata Sky Chief Marketing Officer Vikram Mehra told reporters. 850 schools use Tata Sky Actve Education Tata Sky has added a new lingo to our everyday conversation-isko laga dala toh life jhingalala. Launched in August 2006, the country's second-largest DTH service provider has already crossed the 5.5 million subscriber mark. Beaming over 200 channels, the DTH major has five call centres, which take calls in 11 languages. Vikram Kaushik, MD & CEO of Tata Sky, spoke to ET on a range of issues faced by the DTH industry. Excerpts: Soon cable operators will have to shift to the digital system. Do you see any threat to DTH from alternative technologies such as digital cable and IPTV? In a large geographical country like India, DTH is the most preferred and affordable proposition as compared to IPTV and cable. It can reach any geographical location with the same picture quality and sound and at the same price. IPTV has other challenges relating to the last-mile connectivity and the overall cost of access for average consumers. This will take some time to become feasible. If digital cable is to expand, then the consumer proposition has to be competitive versus DTH, both in terms of price, line-up, VAS as well as customer service. TRAI has said that all addressable systems including DTH will have to offer television channels a-lacarte to the consumers. It's a tall order. It has not been tried in any other country. The change will require huge re-engineering of back-end systems and large investments too. We will try to meet the requirement, but it's extremely challenging. The multiplicity of choice will also have implications for bandwidth.

Tata Sky, a joint venture between the Tata Group and Star, is eyeing an 8- million subscribers by FY'2012, a top company official said. "We are looking for at least 8 million connections by FY' 12 from the present 2 million

subscribers in direct-to-home (DTH) space," Tata Sky Managing Director & CEO Vikram Kaushik told reporters here on Tuesday after launching Tata Sky, a new-age service that uses the breakthrough personal video recorder (PVR) technology. "We have created a record of 2 million subscribers in 20 months. The total DTH subscriber base is estimated at 6-million," Kaushik said. Tata Sky would be the first to bring this technology in India. PVR allows subscribers to save a particular content airing on one channel, while watching another. The subscriber can view the saved content as per his/her convenience later on. "PVR technology will not only help our subscribers to time-shift their TV-viewing with the record and playback features, but also give them the convenience to enjoy uninterrupted TV with the pause and rewind live TV features," Kaushik said. The DTH service provider aims to position this service as a premium offering and it would be rolled-out in a phased manner across the country. The set top boxes for PVR are expected to be priced at Rs 8,999. However, it will be offered to the existing Tata Sky subscribers at discounted rates.

TATA SKY PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGNS Brand Ambassador promoting Tata Sky+ Recently launched Tata Sky Plus which uses the personal video recording (PVR) technology that allows consumers to record live. It is available at a price of Rs. 8999/Brand Ambassador promoting interactive services from Tata Sky, i.e. Tata Active Roadside promotional campaigns from Tata Sky Picture above is among the most recent campaigns from Tata Sky Advertisement for choice of packages Installation service from Tata Sky Promotional Banners from Tata Sky Tata Skys sentimental promotional campaignActve Games from Tata Sky, an interactive channel for kids

Tata Sky- an overview Most Wanted Features Reminder for favourite program On demand Movies Live Record / Pause / Rewind People want to add internet services as add on service. 80% of the customers are satisfied by the DTH services (Tata Sky). Problems faced by the Customers Some channels do not have good reception After sales service customer care service Remote is not of good quality Hidden charges free to air channels Packages are not so good and attractive Sometimes poor quality of signal Reasons for its Failure Bad Customer care Bad Reception of Some Channels Less advertisement in initial stage Less variety of channel packages Failure of Telecommunication Network Reasons for its Success Introduction of new and unique features Introduction of schemes Improvement in picture and sound quality Better customer care service than before Appointed Amir Khan in his advertisement Easy availability or Good distribution network.

Recommendation They should improve their customer care. They should use more advanced technology for the improvement of the picture quality. They should review their packages and launch some economical packages for middle class people. They should introduce new schemes to attract customers. They should introduce new services like internet which will make them unique in their category. They should find new ways to advertise their product.

Comparison Dish TV :Advantages (1) The biggest advantage of Dish TV is its cost. (For old or existing customers at this point). It offers most of the popular channels at low cost. The highest pack costs Rs.325 per month, after which only 1 or 2 add-on packs are required to all almost all channels, unlike other DTH where you need several Add-on packs even after subscribing to the highest pack. (2) Dish TVs satellite being located very near to DD Direct Pluss satellite, all Dish TV users enjoy the complete channel offering of DD Direct Plus as well. So any new channel added in DD Direct Plus automatically gets added to Dish TV channel offering. 67 (3) The software of Dish TV STBs are stable at the moment. This makes the switching speed between channels pretty fast. Also very less hang-ups of STBs reported till now. Thanks to Dish TV STBs great software. (4) Only Dish TV gives its users access to exclusive never-before seen international channels which are not available even in cable till now. The platter includes MGM, TCM and Boomerang. Airtel Digital TV provides MGM India unlike Dish TV which still carries the direct international feed of MGM. (5) Several new channels added recently are provided at no extra cost for the highest pack users, except for a few channels. (Currently only for existing or old customers). Whereas other DTH operators, have added the new launches in separate Add-on Packs. (6) Dish TV has a good no of Transponders to offer more channels to its users, including the recently contracted Protostar which means more channels for its customers. Disadvantages (1) One of the biggest problems of Dish TV is its Customer Care and Customer Service which is definately not upto the mark. The CC executives lack professionalism in their attitude and after-sales support in certain areas are

allegedly poor. 68 (2) Another serious issue is its audio and video quality. Quality on several (but not all) channels on Dish is not upto the mark. Too much of pixelation is seen on some channels and the audio standard is of course not of true CD quality. (3) Dish TV misses out on few important channel packages which includes the Neo bouquet and the UTV group of channels. Due to this exclusive cricket matches and world TV premier of latest movies on these channels are missed by the Dish TV users. (4) New channel addition process is extremely slow when it comes to Dish TV. It takes a huge amount of time for Dish TV to enhance its bouquet offerings. (5) The time taken for activation of packages after renewal is too long sometimes. Users had to wait for as long as 5-6 days for activation even after making payments on time. (6) Official website is not updated regularly. Official weblog which was meant for the interaction of Dish TV users too does not work till date. TataSky :Advantages (1) Indias first and only DTH service to have made a joint venture with a reputed international DTH brand, Sky, which is famous for its exquisite technology. 69 (2) The audio and video quality of TataSky stands up to the expectations of its users. Customers have reported about Tata Skys true DVD quality picture and CD quality sound. (3) Only TataSky gives its users an exclusive access to some authentic international channels which includes BBC Entertainment and Celebes. (4) TataSky offers uniform volume level across all channels, unlike other DTH services where the volume level keep varying with each channel. (5) The STB of TataSky is stable enough. There has been very less or no reports of TataSky STB bugs or issues till date.

(6) TataSky users argue that its Customer Service is satisfactory. Issues are addressed on time and the after-sales support is great. Disadvantages (1) TataSky has too many Add-on packs. Several add-on packs need to be subscribed to for enjoying all the channels, even after going with the highest pack. This makes the over-all package too costly. (2) The channel strength of TataSky is less compared to other DTH operators. This is because of the less no of Transponders purchased by them. 70 FINDINGS 1) Maximum Dealers keep DTH kit and recharge facility. 2) Awareness of new connection and new recharge offers of Dish TV is similar to Tata Sky and Airtel Digital. 3) There is a communication gap between the company and the dealers. 4) Availability of vouchers lie between price ranges from Rs 100 to 1000. 5) Availability of voucher is one of the major issues among DTH dealers. 6) EPRS system seems to be the most troublesome recharge option for DTH. 7) In case of Dish TV because of frequent trouble complains in EPRS recharge option, vouchers are preferred over others that are not the case with other brands who use all other options. 71 8) Customer care service is considered to be very poor as dealers often complain of problems in recharge process. 9) Many dealers say they recommend Tata Sky and Airtel because they get the installation done much faster in comparison to Dish TV. With Dish, it takes up to 3-4 days sometimes. 10) The company hasnt been able to keep up the promises made to the customers, like installation and activation commitments are often not met. 11) Communication between the Call Centre and the Service centre is not good. 12) Customer Care is not reachable on Toll-Free easily, waiting time is high on toll-free numbers.

13) Changes in price plans and offers more frequently confuses customers which beings down the consumer satisfaction levels. 14) There has been a growing trend of dish TV customers and dealers being shifting to other major brands like Tata Sky and Airtel Digital as they provide better value added services like after sale service, recharge facilities and customer care. 15) Most dealers surveyed have complained that the Distributor/Sales people do not visit much and they are not receiving sufficient support. SUGGESTIONS 1) Increase awareness: Since there is lack in communication channel, it should be tackled with care and dealers should be constantly made aware about the offers and new plans through meetings with company executives at regular intervals. 2) Improve processes and techniques: In order to make recharge or activation process more transparent and user friendly, the EPRS technology needs to be upgraded consistently. 3) Give more value added services: Since Tata sky and Airtel have clear edge over value added services like free installation DTH needs to mend its strategy to face these competition. One way of doing this would be to offer at least the same service as these two competitors are trying to eat the market share. 4) Improvement in after Sales Services: Arrange: proper training for customer care executives as Dish TV lacks proper after sale service against the service provided by Tata Sky & other brands. 5) Standardized the price plans and avoid frequency changing: Frequent changes in price and offers is proving no good for Dish TV as it is in way frustrates the customers with changes in offers without being informed about it. 6) Voucher Availability: Make proper channel of Distribution of voucher. As sometimes it becomes hectic for any consumer to find a voucher recharge dealer. 7) Visibility: Danglers create more impact on customer mind, it always visible and promote offer and help to recall brand resonance.